


The duty of a paladin

by DrMcNastyPhD



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:33:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26742190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrMcNastyPhD/pseuds/DrMcNastyPhD
Summary: Vaelorik is one of the original party members turned rouge. when the party learned that they were in charge of defeating the gods, this paladin remained faithful and switched sides to smite the heretics.This story takes place after a fight between him and the party, the first time they've seen each other since the separation.  Vaelorik's group lost and are in the local in licking their wounds while he thinks of the next plan.





	The duty of a paladin

Pain flashed through the paladin’s mind as he tends to his wounds, focused on the battered body of the priestess on the bed, her chest weakly rising and falling in labored breath. She would live, but it would be a long recovery. Magic could heal life threatening wounds, but non life threatening injuries needed to heal the natural way. She had several broken ribs, dislocated shoulder and a concussion. 

_ *Audible crack *Flash _

More pain as the paladin set the second of his 4 broken fingers on his left hand.. Gauntlets keep your fingers from coming off but they don't provide the best defense against raw force. 

_ Flash followed by a groan _

The paladin felt deep internal pain after a particularly deep breath. One of his ribs had pierced his lung and while it was negated by magic, the pain still remained. 

The pain was not the worst part, at least for him. The pain itself was nothing, any soldier worth his sword was accustomed to pain. It was what the pain represented. It serves as a reminder.

**_Flash followed by a full body shudder._ **

This pain was not physical. No amount of physical pain could amount to what this was. This pain was internal. This pain was shame. The feeling of worthlessness that comes with failure.

Paladins should be strong. They should be reliable.  **They should not fail.** Paladins are the frontlines of their faith and they are the soldiers that implement the will of the gods. They were the strongest of faith and faith always prevails. Clerics and priests were of course necessary. They served the public with healing ans prayers but paladins were a step above them. It is one thing to believe in the gods. It is a step higher to have faith in the god’s and their will. It is another step to live your life as a member of the clergy. Serving the public in place/name of your god. And at the pinnacle of faith are the paladins, those who devote not only their mind but body to their god. They train their bodies to the max, they posses the resolve to do whatever is asked of them by the gods, and they have the fortitude to prevail in the face of any adversity as adversity to the will of the gods is evil and will not be tolerated. 

Paladins are there to do what the angels can not. Angels are beings of immense power that should not be bothered with trivial problems such as heresy and non believers. Paladins sacrafice their lives for the gods and would do so again in a second if given the chance for their faith will be rewarded.

A sardonic smile creeps across his face. Issac. He had heard of his demise from a source in kenfuzley and it brought him pleasure in these dark times. The thought that a paladin could turn his back on the gods was the most vile thing he could think of. Even worse than pure heresy. How could any man see the light of the gods and CHOOSE to leave it for the sake of heresy? He was deeply elated at the fact that Issac burned in the nine hels this very moment.

Suddenly the smile became a grin, and turned into laughter, pained, labored laughter but laughter all the same.    
  
“........what is it?” said a weak voice from the bed

The paladin immediately stoped his laughing and cursed himself for having woken her. She needs more rest to recover from her injuries. 

“Nothing. Go back to sleep.”

With a groan she shifted in her bed and within the minute he heard soft/steady breathing as she faded away back to sleep. 

*snap*  
He sets his third finger back into place. The feeling of shame replaced with a feeling of pride, determination and drive. This was a test. This was not failure, this was a setback. The proof was isaac's death, a fitting punishment for the traitor. This was another one of his trails. The gods tested their subjects for only those of the strongest faith could be fit to be paladins. If he let this minor hiccup waiver his faith in himself then he was not worth the oath he took and should end his life with the dagger on his hip. No he would prevail. He would grow stronger in order to defend his faith with greater proficiency. 

With a fourth snap and a grunt Vaelorik set his last finger and began work on tying them to a splint. He resumed staring at the shallow breaths of the priestess in the bed. She was a kind girl, a low level member of her local clergy until he discovered her latent clerical ability. He didn't want to drag her into this but her eagerness to serve her gods in any way she could moved him and he allowed her to join him as her support capabilities would be invaluable. Continuing to stare but not see, his mind drifted back to the battle. The heretics also seemed to have picked up some girl. She didn't seem to completely understand the gravity of the situation she was in and he hoped he could reach her before they set her on a path of no return. 

After being done with his splint he used his good hand to write a letter to the other cleric who was out procuring food and medical supplies. He ordered him to stay with the girl and to care for her until she was healed and to travel to gladehome when they were ready. He left them a considerable amount of gold to pay for any expenses that may come up and wrote that he would be sending more when he could. He whispered a quiet farewell to the sleeping form and left the room, placing a warding sigil on the door that would not allow anyone but himself and the cleric from entering the room. 

Arriving at the Golden scale in as much of his equipment he could don, he entered and spend the rest of his gold on transport and protection to Glade home. His lord would want an update on the heretics that oppose him at every turn, and he wants to do so personally as doing it by magic would dely/prevent any punishment for being bestowed on him. And to run from the consequences of your shortcomings would be cowardly. Though he would take full responsibility for the girl and the other. As it had been by his orders that they entered the arena. 


End file.
